UX Product Design Intern - Winter 2027

Location: San Mateo, California, United States Department: R&D Employment Type: Intern Location Type: Remote

Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors to first responders, soldiers in battlefield scenarios, and beyond.

The Challenge

Our products are used by professionals with a lot on the line, operating in rugged environments where every second counts. Their mission is clear: find the missing person, get the lights back on, keep the roads open, and keep the good guys safe. Our mandate is to solve one of the most complex problems of our time: how to build autonomous flying robots that help our customers get the job done, no matter what.

If reading that excites you, we want to talk to you.

Skydio isn’t just building drones; we are defining the future of autonomous robotics. To win, our products must be more than capable—they must be undeniably reliable. We’re looking for a UX Product Design Intern who is excited to learn how trustworthy experiences are designed for complex autonomous systems.

Designers at Skydio are inventing the interfaces of the future. As an intern, you’ll help translate advanced technology into intuitive, reliable, and beautiful experiences that give operators clarity and confidence when it matters most.

About the Role

As a UX Product Design Intern, you’ll work alongside experienced designers, Product Managers, and Engineers to help create intuitive experiences for autonomous systems. You’ll contribute to clearly scoped projects across Web and Mobile while receiving regular mentorship, critique, and support.

Depending on the project, you may help map Critical User Journeys (CUJs), synthesize research, explore workflows, create wireframes and high-fidelity designs, build interactive prototypes, and incorporate feedback from users and cross-functional partners. You’ll gain experience designing for complex, real-world environments while developing your product thinking, communication skills, and design craft.

We expect you to bring curiosity, a developing foundation in product design, and a willingness to seek and act on feedback. Over the course of the internship, you’ll take increasing ownership of well-bounded deliverables with support from your manager and design partners.

How You’ll Make an Impact

Design for Trust: Contribute to interfaces for autonomous flying robots that help operators understand what the system is doing and feel confident that the job will get done.

Explore Complex Problems: Partner with experienced designers to investigate challenges involving remote hardware sensing, 3D spatial awareness, and AI-driven missions. Help turn early ideas into flows, wireframes, and prototypes.

Learn From Users: Support research, usability studies, and on-site customer visits. Help synthesize observations and bring that “ground truth” back to the team.

Communicate and Iterate: Share your work, explain your design choices, invite feedback, and improve solutions in partnership with Design, Product, and Engineering.

Strengthen the Craft: Create thoughtful, high-quality interfaces and interactive prototypes. Use design and AI tools responsibly to explore ideas, test assumptions, and learn quickly.

Contribute to the Team: Participate in critiques, help document design decisions, and contribute to design-system patterns and team practices where relevant.

What Makes You a Great Fit

Portfolio or Work Samples: You can share academic, personal, freelance, or internship projects that demonstrate your design process, problem solving, and ability to learn through iteration.

Design Fundamentals: You have a developing foundation in interaction design, visual design, prototyping, and user-centered problem solving.

Prototyping Skills: You are proficient with tools such as Figma and can turn ideas into wireframes, high-fidelity designs, or interactive prototypes.

Curiosity and Growth: You ask thoughtful questions, seek feedback, and are excited to build new skills in a fast-moving technical environment.

Clear Collaboration: You can explain your thinking, listen to different perspectives, stay organized, and work constructively with teammates from different disciplines.

Interest in Complex Products: You are excited by robotics, AI, hardware, mapping, navigation, or other technical products. Prior experience in these areas is helpful, but not required.

AI Curiosity: You are interested in exploring how AI can support design research, prototyping, and storytelling while applying sound judgment to when and how these tools are used.

Education or Equivalent Experience: You are currently pursuing or have recently completed a degree, certificate, or focused training in product design, interaction design, HCI, human factors, or a related field—or have developed equivalent skills through self-directed or practical work.

Compensation Range: The hourly base salary range for this position is $47/hr for Undergrad, $53/hr for Graduate students, and $70/hr for PhD students*. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience.

#LI-ZD1

At Skydio we believe that diversity drives innovation. We have created a multidisciplinary environment that embraces the power of diverse perspectives to create elegant solutions for complex problems. We are committed to growing our network of people, programs, and resources to nurture an inclusive culture.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteris